Subdivision
by Sorida
Summary: Animated. Things couldn't be any worse for Bumblebee: Sari has a boyfriend, who absolutely hates him, she still won't talk to him after stabbing him, and his nightmares keep getting worse. At least there's no Decepti-no, there are. BBxSari
1. Prologue

_Summary: Animated Bumblebee feels rejected when Sari dates a new boy at her school. But, can this boy really be trusted? Is he working for the Decepticons or is Bee's jealousy getting in the way of his judgment?_

_A/N: I'll make this brief and to-the-point, as I won't be leaving any more A/N's through the entire story. Hi there, this is my first Transformers story and I'm fairly new to the fandom. My friend got me hooked on it through the movies, which lead me first to Animated, then to G1, and then to Prime. Animated is the first one I happened to watch shortly followed by Prime. I'm rambling…anyway, Bumblebee quickly became my favorite Autobot (G1, Animated, Prime, Movies, doesn't matter to me) and the SarixBumblebee pairing grew on me, so here's my first attempt at it. Emjoy!_

Prologue

It had started as a normal day at school for Sari. By normal, she meant duller than a Decepticon exhaust pipe. For once, she sat quietly at her desk, lazily playing with a pencil as the teacher took attendance.

After her upgrade, Sari's father decided that Sumdac Tower was no place to educate his daughter. Sending her to the local high school gave her more freedom and, perhaps, she'd socialize and "hang out" with some of the kids.

Sari's reputation for being the "weird kid" made her an outcast. The girls were clique-y, like all high school girls (some of them weren't mean, they just had friend groups already which made Sari feel uncomfortable), and the boys were grade-A douche bags. She snickered at the thought of Bumblebee trying to run them over for calling her very offensive names.

As her thoughts turned to her best friend, a sigh escaped her lips. It had been months since she accidentally stabbed him, but the guilt still felt the same. She had been deliberately avoiding the yellow mech, opting to hang out with Bulkhead. Sari knew Bee was getting annoyed, but he had to understand that she couldn't emotionally face him again without imagining the live wires creeping out from under the yellow armor, Ratchet's fearful expression, the fact they almost lost-

_No,_ Sari thought, _I'm not going to think about that. Bee's alive and he's completely fine...other than being totally pissed at me for avoiding him. I can work that out with him later. Maybe if I-_

"Class," the teacher said, breaking Sari's thought process, "I'd like to introduce you to our newest student from Siberia." A boy with short sandy hair stood next to the teacher. He wore a yellow T-shirt covered by a dark blue jacket, jeans, and black Converse. Sari had to admit, although the outfit looked a bit unoriginal, he was pretty cute.

"Hi," he said, "my name's Rory. I know it doesn't sound Siberian, but my parents are from the States." His voice had an edge to it, like he was naturally meant to be noticed.

"Alright Rory, just take the seat behind Sari over there," the teacher pointed to the red-head, "and I'll begin the lesson." With a nod, Rory made his way to the desk, passing Sari a small smile before sitting down. Sari couldn't help but blush a bit before mentally slapping herself.

'What are you thinking?' she mentally berated herself, 'Hitting on a boy on their first day of school is not good! Just, get to know him first, introduce him to the Autobots, and let things happen from there.'

"Hi, um, Sari is it?" he whispered to her. Sari nodded slightly, so the boy continued, "Cool, you have a nice name. It's...unique."

"Most people say it's weird." she replied.

"I don't think so. Why would people say that?"

"Everyone thinks I'm weird, so my name MUST be weird too." Sari huffed.

"Well, in that case, 'everyone' is judging you too fast. Want to sit together at lunch?"

"Um...yeah, of course," Sari replied, slightly surprised, "You realize everyone's going to think you're weird too, right?" Rory shrugged.

"I don't care. You seem like a nice person and high school students are always dumb when it comes to judging people. You seem different...good different. Those girls," he pointed to some of the scum of the class, "are not worth my kindness or yours."

Sari turned around to face the new kid and smiled.

"Rory, this is the start of a beautiful friendship."


	2. Chapter 1

This felt so wrong. Everything was just...wrong. Worried voices filled the air, colliding with tension and fear to create the worst atmosphere in the world-no, universe. It almost felt worse than a battlefield. The air itself felt supercharged, as if thick with apprehension...or grief. Why grief? What would make someone think that?

Pain shot through him as he hit the black asphalt below. His whole body felt like it was on fire, but why? He could see the cityscape, the smoke, the electricity, and the-Sari?

Her face showed a mix of fear, anger, pain, sadness, disbelief, and guilt. Why would Sari feel guilty? A sharp wave of pain reminded him why.

Bumblebee struggled to online his optics, to see the damage Sari had brought upon him. He knew it wasn't her fault and he tried his best to explain that to her. But his voice modulator hadn't worked, the best he could manage being a pained expression that he hoped read "It's not your fault, I forgive you."

Next thing he knew, Ratchet was over him trying to stabilize his spark. Before the medic could do anything, Bumblebee pushed him away as a monster made its way towards Sari. Ignoring the intense pain in his chassis, he ran as fast as he could towards her. He couldn't let that monster get to her! He'd never let anything bad happen to Sari! He was going to save her and that monster wasn't going to lay a servo on her!

But it did get to her.

Bumblebee didn't know who screamed louder. Sari shrieked as the monster ripped her apart, exposing Cybertronian circuitry encasing human bone. Blood and energon coated the pavement, creating a sick paint blend on the asphalt. Bee could hear her muscles tearing apart; see the circuitry short out, smell the energon and blood, taste her fear as it mirrored his own, but he was still too far away to lend a comforting touch.

He continued to run, the pain from her stab giving way to the pain in his spark. Everything slowed down when the monster plunged his blood-coated hand into her chest and closed in around her spark-heart. Ripping it out, Bumblebee could clearly see her heart embedded within a spark, creating a ripple effect throughout the organ. He could only watch in horror as Sari's life force was crushed before his very optics, energon oozing between the monster's fingers as a harsh laugh filled the air.

The monster became clear before him. Megatron had killed Sari.

"You piece of slag!" Bumblebee shouted, gaining the courage to run up to his friend's side and hold her close, despite the gore, "You killed her! She-we...I never told her that I forgive her..."

"Do you think I care Autobot?" Megatron sneered, coated in Sari's life-fluids, "Do you think I care about destroying one measly organic?"

"You're going to once I'm finished with you!" Bee shouted, changing his hand to stingers while dropping Sari's remains. The smirk on Megatron's faceplate made the scout think twice.

"Will you really attack me? You're worthless in every way possible. Your friend's death was only accomplished through you're incompetence. She hated you, I hate you; everyone hates you. Even they know that." Bumblebee turned towards his team only to be met with disapproving optics.

"If you just behaved Bumblebee, then maybe she would be alive. You know you're no good at these types of things. I was waiting for you to figure it out on your own, but that did no good. Bumblebee, you're a failure." Optimus Prime finished, shaking his head.

"Prime, I'm part of the team remember? So is Sari! I tried Prime, you saw I tried! I never wanted her to die!" Bee screamed. His words fell on deaf ears as Prowl walked up to him.

The yellow mech gasped him pain as Prowl shoved one shuriken into the stab wound.

"I always knew you were trouble Bumblebee, but this crossed the line. I'll never forgive you for anything. You are dead to me." Prowl left the scout to stand next to Prime. Oil tears ran down Bee's faceplate.

"Prowl, I never meant to hurt you. Prowl! Please!" Bulkhead walked over next.

"Of all the stupid things you've done, this has got to top the list. I always hated you Bee. You were always mean to me, insulted me, and never ever showed any gratitude towards me. Now look, Sari's dead and it's your fault. Sentinel was right back in boot camp; you're nothing but a worthless scrapheap. I guess you're not my little buddy anymore." With that, Bulkhead turned his back on Bumblebee. This time, Bee remained silent as the medic walked towards him.

"You messed up kid," Ratchet said, "You've really outdone yourself this time. You've killed an innocent Bumblebee. You may as well be a Decepticon."

"He may not be a Decepticon," Optimus said, kneeling down next to Bumblebee, "but he's certainly not one of us." As the words left his mouth, Optimus ripped the yellow armor off where Bumblebee's insignia was placed. The scout screamed in agony, from both the emotional and physical pain. Through the energon and frayed circuitry, his small spark was visible. It pulsated wildly from fear, pain, and depression.

"I leave this kill to you Autobots." Megatron said, transforming and flying away. Bumblebee looked up to his friends only to be greeted with all weapons trained on him.

"This one's for Sari." Bulkhead whispered.

"Guys, please, I didn't want this to happen! I tried to stop it! Please, I never wanted it to happen!" Bee cried. The others remained apathetic, all awaiting Optimus Prime's signal.

"Goodbye, Bumblebee." Prime hissed. Simultaneously, the axe, wrecking ball, shuriken, and magnetic pulses charged straight towards Bumblebee's exposed spark. With nowhere to run, Bumblebee did the only thing he could.

He screamed.

Bumblebee lost his balance and slipped off of his recharge berth from his abrupt on-lining. He met the cold concrete, but could have cared less about the fall. Quickly, a servo grabbed hold of his waste bin and brought it to his mouth.

The sound of purging tanks filled the room. Dry-heaving soon followed and within a few kliks, Bumblebee found himself in-taking vast amounts of air into his vents as his body shuddered in complete shock. He cycled vast amounts of air through his vents for a good five human minutes until the unsteady feeling in his tanks left. Sighing, Bee leaned against the wall with no intention of falling back into recharge. There was no way in the Pit he was going to face that nightmare again within the same recharge cycle.

That nightmare had plagued his processor for the past three human months. One month ago, Sari had met a boy and began dating him. Bumblebee was slightly comforted by the fact that the nightmares had come far before the boy. The purging, however, had not. Speaking of which, that boy could not be trusted...

Shaking THAT thought from his processor, he thought of the past three months instead. He hid his discomfort well from the others, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. The purging had started a week ago and "insomnia" (as the humans called it) came with it.

Bumblebee sighed again, trying to straighten out his thoughts. Not wanting to think more about the nightmares, he turned his attention back to Sari's "boyfriend."

It really had stung a bit when Sari walked through the plant's doors with the boy. Bumblebee had been so happy to see her, to tell her he forgave her about what happened and that he wanted to hang out sometime. He felt offended that she only came to introduce the Autobots to her new friend. Two weeks later, they were boyfriend and girlfriend. The worst thing was that she avoided Bee through the timeframe. She only began talking to him again last week, but even now their conversations remained short and very one-sided (you can guess which side did all the talking).

To top it all off, the boy, Rory, did not seem to like Bumblebee at all. The kid would always cause him grief and Sari just...giggled. It was the most infuriating thing in the world! Bumblebee wanted to vent out all of his frustrations, but to whom? He'd always gone to Sari and Sari was avoiding him like Cosmic Rust.

At least Decepticon activity had gone down, with very little on the monitors aside from Blitzwing's insane song sessions every few solar cycles. Last song was...Bumblebee didn't even want to think about it.

Sunlight crept its way into Bumblebee's room, alerting the scout to the new day. Shakily, Bee got to his feet and left for the entertainment monitor. Maybe some Ninja Gladiator would make him feel better.

In the sunlight, maybe he could have seen the fresh energon that had come up with the purging. But then again, who really wants to cast a glance at their old waste?

Three megacycles later, Bumblebee had completed nearly seventy-three rounds of Ninja Gladiator as Optimus Prime made his way to the main room. Optimus was the first to catch sight of their youngest team member and caught his attention.

"Bumblebee, how long have you been up?" Optimus asked.

"I don't know, seven megacycles maybe." Since his back was to Optimus, Bee never caught his surprised and slightly worried-looking expression.

"Look, I know you've been getting very little recharge and I know you're not going to tell me why if I ask you. I just want you to know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm willing to listen." For once, Bumblebee silently considered the offer, but shrugged it off just as quickly.

"I'll be fine Boss-Bot. Don't worry." Optimus gave him a wary glance before turning to the monitors.

_I know there's something wrong with him_, Optimus thought, _I should talk to Ratchet about it. He'd know how to handle Bumblebee better than I do._

Within the next megacycle, Prowl, Bulkhead, and Ratchet had made their way to their respective places. Prowl was meditating in the corner, humming softly to help him concentrate. Bulkhead set up his painting supplies, trying to finish his latest "master piece." Ratchet sat near Optimus and began tinkering with his EMP generator, keeping a weary optic on the youngling of the group.

"You wouldn't happen to know what's going on with Bumblebee." Optimus said quietly to the medic.

"I've got some ideas, but I can't confirm anything until that stubborn sparkling opens up to us," Ratchet replied, "Or until Sari walks in alone."

"What does Sari have to do with Bumblebee?"

"Are you really that dense Prime? Haven't you seen the way that mech looks at her?"

"Um…well, I figured as much, but I don't think she's the reason-"

"-For Bumblebee's nightmares." Both Ratchet and Optimus turned to face the ninja-bot. Before either of them could ask about it, Prowl said, "I've noticed his…deteriorating health. Our rooms are right next to each other, I can hear him scream at night."

"Does he say anything?" Optimus asked. Prowl nodded.

"I've heard him shouting about nearly everything: Sari, Megatron, Blitzwing, Lugnut, Wasp, Sentinel Prime, you name it."

"Do you know when it started?" Ratchet asked, masking his concern only through stellar cycles of practice from the Great War.

"No more than a few Earth months ago. Well, at least that's when I heard him scream the first time."

"You have any ideas, Ratchet?" Optimus said, turning to the medic.

"I do, but I'd need to talk to Bumblebee in order to confirm anything." Ratchet sighed, "I swear to Primus, that kid will be the death of himself…"

"Well, thanks for the information Prowl," Optimus said. Prowl just nodded and walked away; leaving his leader and medic alone by the monitors once again.

"So…you really don't see it Prime?" Ratchet asked, raising an optic ridge, a small smirk playing on his faceplate.

"See what?"

"You're even denser than Bulkhead." The medic chuckled and walked off to the med-bay. Optimus continued to stare after him, thoroughly confused. He shrugged before returning his attention to the monitors. This team sure had their quirks…

* * *

><p>"So, you're staying for the rest of high school?" Sari asked, excitement creeping into her voice. She and Rory were sitting on a park bench.<p>

"Well, it looks like it so far," he replied, "Aren't you lucky? You get to deal with me for another two years." Both teens giggled before sharing a small kiss.

"You want me to call the Autobots for a lift to base?" Sari asked.

"Sure. You know, I don't think that yellow one likes me." Rory replied, eyes downcast.

"Bumblebee's getting to you, huh? Awe, don't worry about him, he'll come around. Besides, I've never had a boyfriend before, let alone a human friend who didn't call me a freak. He's probably just being overprotective, especially since he was my first friend."

"Makes sense," Rory shrugged.

"Here, let me call Optimus," Sari pulled her cell phone from her pocket and speed dialed the comm.-link.

"Hello?" the red-and-blue mech's voice came through.

"Hey Optimus, you mind picking Rory and me up at the park?"

"Well…Ratchet and I were discussing something important, but I can send someone else over. Bulkhead's checking on the Dinobots, but Prowl and Bumblebee are on patrol." Sari sighed. There was no way in hell her dad would let her ride a motorcycle yet, regardless of if said motorcycle was Prowl. Worst part: Prowl agreed and wouldn't let her on the few times she did try, he just blared his sirens until she backed off.

"C'mon, you know Bumblebee and Rory don't get along!" she whispered into the phone, not really wanting her boyfriend to overhear the conversation. "Remember the last time he gave us a ride?"

"Maybe it won't be that bad this time. Bee's exhausted as it is, he may not try and pick a fight."

"Yeah, or he'll blow a gasket because of overtired-ness! I'm a teenager Prime, I know these things!"

"Look, Sari…it's either Bumblebee or walk, your choice."

"…Fine, comm. Bee to pick us up. See you soon." Sari hung up and turned to the boy on the bench. "Sorry," she apologized, "but Bee's the one coming for us."

"Ah, it's fine. I'll be able to handle a five-minute screaming session with him." Rory replied with a smirk.

"I don't know if I can." Sari groaned, shaking her head.

* * *

><p>"You want me to <em>what?<em>" Bumblebee exclaimed over his comm.-link.

"Look, I don't want to deal with this right now. Just pick Sari and her boyfriend up and come back to base." Optimus sighed. Bee had the unfortunate ability to annoy someone at the worst possible moments.

"And you agreed to this without asking me first?"

"Bumblebee…" Suddenly, Ratchet's voice filled the comm.

"Bumblebee, just get over yourself and get your aft over there!" the medic berated, "You barely have to deal with the guy for five minutes! So, pick them up, bring them here, and try not to cause a city-wide argument with the boy or, by Primus, I'll silence that voice modulator of yours for a week!"

"…Yes sir, I'm on my way now." Bee said hesitantly, pulling a U-turn to reach the park. He could feel his tanks churning in anxiety for meeting the two teens face-to-faceplate again. Last time he gave them a ride, sparks flew in the most literal sense.

Five minutes later (who said that an Autobot had to listen to traffic laws? Well, at least when Fanzone wasn't around…), Bumblebee arrived in the park, waiting for Sari and her boyfriend. Soon enough, the couple walked down the sidewalk towards the yellow sub-compact.

Bumblebee clicked his two doors open, allowing Sari into the driver's seat and Rory into the passenger's seat. Once his doors were closed and the human occupants had their seatbelts on, he backed out and drove to the base.

Surprisingly, for the first two minutes, things were going semi-smoothly, as an awkward silence filled the car's interior. Bumblebee wanted so desperately to talk to Sari, to tell her that he forgave her for stabbing him, but he wouldn't allow himself to in the presence of Rory. In all honesty, he missed hanging out with Sari and ONLY Sari…and Bulkhead on occasion.

Bumblebee gave a small jolt when he felt something touching his glove compartment. Of course it was the boy, didn't he understand that Bee wasn't actually a real car?

"Hey buddy, keep your servos to yourself, alright?" Bumblebee said, clearly annoyed. Rory lifted both hands quickly.

"Whoa, sorry man; didn't mean any harm." Rory replied.

"Bee, just calm down," Sari said, a hand on her forehead, "Can't we just get through one almost peaceful car ride without one of you ruining it?"

"Sorry Sari…" Rory whispered.

"It's fine."

Once the trio finally reached the base, Bumblebee let his passengers out before quickly transforming and heading towards his room. Primus, he felt terrible. Not because of Rory, mind you, but his processor felt…fuzzy. Laying his helm on the doorpost, he rested against the wall for a good five minutes before deciding he probably needed some energon. But that would mean going through the rec. room where Sari and…

"I'll just slip in and out without them noticing." Bee said to himself. With that, he walked back towards the rec. room, trying to dispel any unwanted thoughts of Sari and her boyfriend.

* * *

><p>Ratchet sighed, going over his medical reports with Prime for what felt like the hundredth time. He had recruited the leader to help him find any clues involving Bumblebee's sudden insomnia and nightmares. So far, there was really nothing to go off of. The last recorded Decepticon battle was the Christmas Soundwave incident. At first, the medic thought it was due to their forced reprogramming, but dismissed the thought as none of the other Autobots were having recharge issues. This was purely Bumblebee's processor, Ratchet just couldn't figure out why.<p>

"Maybe the reprogramming affected Bumblebee more than we thought," Optimus said, "He is the youngest and hasn't really matured like the rest of us."

"Age shouldn't be an issue," Ratchet replied, shaking his head, "As long as his core Autobot programming is the same as ours, that shouldn't be a factor."

"Then I have absolutely no clue…unless it's about that thing I'm missing."

"Oh yeah, you still haven't figured it out yet?"

"…No…"

"You're as observant as a rust stick Prime." Ratchet chuckled, "It's obvious the youngling has Sari on his processor."

"What?"

"Think about it: they're close in age (I'm starting to think Bumblebee's a bit behind Sari, when you look at it from a human standpoint), they were great friends before the upgrade, and their personalities match up pretty well."

"Bumblebee…likes Sari?"

"Welcome back to the world of younglings Prime…although, you're all younglings in my optics."

"Bumblebee…and Sari?"

"Alright, now the joke's getting old."

"Bumblebee-" Optimus was cut off by a dull pain from his helm. "Ratchet, did you really need to throw a wrench at me?"

"Would you rather me through the med-bay berth?"

"…No. I just-" The Prime was cut off yet again by shouting from the rec. room, a look of frustration and annoyance crossing his faceplate. His optics widened within the next minute as he realized where the noise was coming from. "Wait, that sounds like Bumblebee…"

"Slag, not again." Ratchet sighed before exiting the med-bay, Optimus in tow.

* * *

><p>"Get out of here! We were doing something important!"<p>

"Well sorry (obvious sarcasm) for fulfilling my daily needs! It wasn't my choice to put the energon dispenser in the rec. room!"

"Guys, just calm down!" a desperate voice shouted, "Can't you get along for one minute?" The simultaneous "No." was all she needed.

"Look robot, usually when two people are alone _behind a couch and hidden from view_, it means they want some privacy!" Rory shouted, standing up on the back of the concrete couch to limit the height difference between himself and Bumblebee.

"I didn't see you, ok? And…that sounded really dirty…" Bee responded, pushing his faceplate closer to the human's face, optics narrowed in anger. He knew that first part was a lie. In all honesty, he had benn a bit nervous when he walked into the empty rec. room. He looked all around the room in a slight panic, wondering what had happened to Sari. Turns out, the two were behind the couch and then…well, it's really self-explanatory.

"Bumblebee!" Sari exclaimed. She just wanted all the rivalries to stop and she knew she wasn't the only one.

"Listen, Sari has me now, so you don't have to go around protecting her from 'danger.'"

"Well…she was my friend first! How do I know that you won't do something bad to her?"

"Because I trust him Bee," Sari replied, "Why can't you?" Her eyes were filled with tears of frustration. Before anyone could point it out, she ran out of the room, leaving the fuming males alone. She didn't even notice Optimus and Ratchet walking in the opposite direction. She just wanted to be alone and sort out her thoughts for a few minutes.

"Now look what you did, you made her cry!" Rory shouted, pointing an accusatory finger towards Bumblebee.

"Did not! That was so you!" Bee yelled back, servos shaking.

"I'm only going to say this once, so get it through your thick processors or something: you're not needed here. Alright? Sari's old enough to take care of herself without _you _there around every corner. Face it, she's outgrown you." Rory was still glaring at him, but his arms were crossed over his chest in a display of triumph. Bumblebee was speechless.

_No…Sari's my best friend, _Bee thought, off-lining his optics, _she wouldn't abandon me…right? That slagger has no idea what he's talking about!_

He barely heard Optimus shout, "Bumblebee, no!" as he lunged for the boy. Before he could do anything, Ratchet caught him in his magnetic field. Bee thrashed around, but could do little in his current situation.

"Sari would never abandon me!" Bumblebee shouted. Rory just shrugged and walked around the Autobots in search of Sari. Once the boy was well out of range, Ratchet released the fuming youngling from his grasp. Prime readied himself to stop the yellow mech if he tried anything, but, unexpectedly, Bumblebee stood his ground, shaking slightly. Oil tears fell down his faceplate and he tried desperately to wipe them away before his leader or the medic could see them.

"Bumblebee, what happened? We heard shouting and-" Prime was cut off (for the third slagging time in less than an hour) by Bumblebee.

"Nothing Boss-bot, I just need some time alone." Bumblebee answered, keeping his head down as he walked towards his room. Screw the energon, he just needed to sort out his thoughts. He stopped when Ratchet's servo caught his.

"Kid, if you need anything, you know where to find us." the medic said, his voice taking on a surprisingly soft tone. It was so out of character…Bee was a bit freaked out.

"Um…ok Doc-bot…" Bumblebee sped back to his room and locked the door. Sighing, he sat on his berth, helm in his servos. His processor ached as did his half-empty tanks. Why did things like this always seem to happen?

* * *

><p>"RUMBLE, RESPOND." A heavily synthesized voice called out.<p>

"Yeah Soundwave?" another, younger sounding voice replied.

"STATUS REPORT."

"It's all going according to plan. The Autbots won't know what hit 'em."

"MEGATRON WILL BE PLEASED."

"I'm sure he will be. I'll keep you posted. Rumble out."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Ok, this is my first Animated story. Yes, I'm taking that overused Bumblebee/Sari plotline. But the ones I've seen just…aren't finished and have been abandoned months (maybe a year) ago. So, it's my turn to take a stab at the plotline that has yet to be conquered in full. If you do know of a full-fledged "Sari has a boyfriend" fic, please tell me, since it a) proves me wrong and b) alerts me of any similarities between this and the other. Be prepared for infrequent updates galore!_


	3. Chapter 2

_A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating! I got massive writer's block and Egress happened and then I got all these ideas and AH! Ok, I'm done. Thanks for sticking with this story; I'll try for another update soon-ish. At least, a bit sooner than it took this chapter to get out._

* * *

><p>"LORD MEGATRON: PROGRESS REPORT." The monotone of Soundwave reverberated throughout the Decepticons' headquarters, truly stirring the heartlessness and slightly disturbing nature of the place.<p>

"Ah, Soundwave, I've been expecting you," a deep, sinister voice called out. It belonged to none other than Megatron, proud leader of the Decepticons.

"Oh, look at me! I'm a butterfly!" Well, almost proud leader of the Decepticons…

"Silence Blitzwing," the tyrant commanded before turning his attention back to the only other competent bot in the room, "So, how is your progress?"

"PROGRESS: ON SCHEDULE. STATUS: ACCORDING TO PLAN. AUTOBOTS: IGNORANT AND VULNERABLE."

"Excellent work, the Autobots won't suspect a thing. The Casseticons are in position, yes?"

"RUMBLE: IN-FIELD. FRENZY: IN-FIELD. LASERBEAK: SURVEILLANCE OF AUTOBOT BASE. RAVAGE: RECHARGE."

"Well, why don't we bring up the video feed?" Megatron smirked, walking towards the monitor. Within a few nanokliks, the static cleared to reveal the rec. room of the Autobot base at nightfall. "And now, we wait…"

* * *

><p>"SARI!" Bumblebee screamed, static filling his voice due to the damage to his voice modulator and fear. He could hear Megatron's laughter filling his audio as he watched in horror as various parts of Sumdac Tower exploded in an orange haze. Smoke filled the air and the Detroit Fire Department did all they could to douse the flames. Prime and the others hadn't arrived yet. Bumblebee was alone. He could hear her screaming, yelling for help; the fear in her voice prominent through the wailing sirens and radio talk.<p>

"Hang on Sari!" Bee shouted, running through the door and doing his best to ignore the intense heat. He didn't care if his armor got singed beyond recognition, he had to save Sari. The tower gave a massive jolt that nearly sent Bumblebee off his pedes. Regaining his balance, he forced the elevator doors open (narrowly avoiding being slagged by said broken elevator as it fell nearly fifteen stories) and used his wheels to ride up the shaft. It vaguely reminded him of his first encounter with Meltdown, but the memory was quickly shoved out of his mind by another terrified yelp.

As fast as he could, Bumblebee leapt out of the elevator shaft and into the nearly black smoke shielding the hallway from view. His Autobot insignia came to life, letting off a vibrant red light, but still couldn't but through the thick smoke. Despite the lack of direction, Bumblebee managed to run the right way, months of going to Sari's finally paying off. Seconds later, he burst through her bedroom door and gasped.

In the center of the room was Megatron holding Sari off the ground by her throat. Sari's hands clung to Megatron's unforgiving servo, trying to pry it away in an act of desperation. Bumblebee could see the fear in his friend's eyes and the glee in his enemy's optics.

"Let her go Megatron!" Bumblebee shouted, changing his servos to stingers. Megatron only laughed, changing the room's atmosphere from fear to one of absolute hopelessness. "Just…leave her alone! She didn't do anything to you, if you need someone to take out your anger on, attack me!"

"Foolish Autobot, you don't understand," Megatron said, tossing Sari up and down as he spoke, "The greatest pain I can inflict on your kind is through whatever you use to process meaningless emotions such as love and friendship. Disgusting if you ask me, you'd be better off without them." The Decepticon smirked. "It would save you from getting hurt in the long run." With that, he caught Sari in his hand and crushed her. Bee fired his stingers, electricity pouring through them at an alarming rate, but it was useless. Megatron continued to laugh until Bumblebee collapsed to the ground, physically and emotionally exhausted.

Bumblebee off-lined his optics, oil tears leaking out of the corners. Suddenly, he felt something slightly warm and wet bounce off of his frame. He didn't have to look to know what-or who-it was.

"Pathetic," Megatron scoffed, walking closer and closer to the youngling, "You Autobots always surprise me. Get over it, it's just an organic, there's billions of them on this planet. Oh, but you made one grave mistake Autobot: you befriended it. Why would you do that?" he asked in mock sympathy, "You knew she would die before you. What was the point of starting something if it would end by the time you matured? Cheer up. I saved you a lifetime of misery."

"You Pit-spawned fragger!" Bumblebee yelled, propelling himself towards the massive mech before him. Megatron merely stepped a yard to the left, causing Bumblebee to crash through the large glass window of Sari's room. As he was about to fall, he quickly latched onto the window sill, knowing that he wouldn't have the strength to hold on for more than a few Earth minutes. Megatron stood over him with his well-known smirk of satisfaction.

"Go on Autobot, I want to hear you scream, scream like the weak youngling you are." Bumblebee flinched at the tyrant's words. Below him, he could hear humans shouting to one another and four engines coming closer to his location. He couldn't help the small yelp of surprise and pain that came out when Megatron's pede came down on his hand.

"I would never give you the satisfaction." Bumblebee replied through gritted denta.

"Very well Autobot, you give me no choice." Megatron left the scout for a few seconds and returned with Sari's corpse. Bee nearly purged as he got a good look at her mangled body. The sickness only spread once he realized that he was covered in her blood.

"Put her down…" He didn't like the way his voice wavered or the smirk that sat upon Megatron's faceplate.

"Oh, don't worry, I will," Megatron said, "but I think your friends would like to know what became of her. Here's the story: you betrayed the Autobots, you killed the girl, I double-crossed you, and now you are listed as a Decepticon and a murderer. How does that make you feel?"

"No, they won't believe you!" Bee shouted in desperation, "They'll know you're lying! Who do you think they'll trust: the megalomaniac or me?" His spark sank as the tyrant let out a maniacal laugh.

"But they already chose, can't you see them?" Megatron dropped Sari before transforming and flying off. Bumblebee looked up to see his team.

"Guys, don't listen to him! I would never betray you or Sari! Please, listen to me!" the scout pleaded. All he received was blank stares.

"Bumblebee, he's telling the truth." Optimus replied, kneeling down so that he was optic-level to Bee, "You set Sumdac Tower on fire and you let Sari get killed by Megatron."

"No, I didn't! Megatron set the place on fire!"

"Then why did you use your stingers on the Tower's gas line?" Prowl asked.

"I didn't! I swear!"

"Classic memory wipe kid, it will get you every time." Ratchet said, shaking his head. "You can't remember, but you sold us all out."

"Sorry little buddy," Bulkhead whispered, "but we can't get you out of it this time."

"What? No! Please guys, help!" Bumblebee shouted to them, pleaded with his optics, but no luck. His grip was slipping; he knew he wouldn't last long.

"I'm sorry Bumblebee," Optimus stated with no emotion, "but it's an optic for an optic." With that, they turned their backs on the scout and walked away, leaving Bumblebee with Sari's body and his guilt.

"No, no, no, please! Come back! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean any of this! It's not my fault!" he screamed. Bumblebee abruptly stopped once he saw Sari, a mangled bloody mess. "Sari, I'm sorry." Suddenly, the girl's eyes snapped open, fixed with an intense glare towards the mech.

"I don't forgive you." she whispered to him. He could only watch in horror as the teenager rose to her feet, blood dripping from every wound inflicted upon her.

"Sari, please, I wish this never happened!" Bumblebee flinched back in fear as she loomed over him.

"Wishing is never enough Bumblebee." she rasped. Part of her arm transformed into the weapon she swore she'd never use again: the energy blade that pierced his chassis. Sari raised it, preparing the final blow. Before she struck, she said three last words, laced with hatred and fury. "I hate you."

Bumblebee let go of the window sill as the blade was driven through his chassis and into his spark chamber. He felt himself fall, hurtling towards the ground. The speed would kill him. The wound would kill him. The pain would kill him. It was all just a matter of which would kill him first.

And for the first time in his life, Bumblebee pleaded for death.

* * *

><p>Bright blue optics snapped open in fear. The room was dark and quiet, not a good combination for Bumblebee at the moment. The scout quickly slid off of his berth, purging his tanks once again within less than a second. The routine was getting monotonous and the nightmares were getting worse. Warnings blared through his processor, demanding that he intake some energon before returning to recharge.<p>

Bumblebee glanced at his clock and groaned. He'd woken up earlier than last time, only midnight. There was no way in the Pit that he was going back to recharge. Shaking slightly, Bumblebee walked out of his room towards the rec. room. Unbeknownst to him, a certain ninja-bot was tagging along for the journey.

"Why does this keep happening to me?" Bee whispered to himself, voice modulator scratchy due to the purgings. He hated the fact that it hurt to talk. Just yesterday during his shouting match with Rory he was fine. What was the difference now? He stopped abruptly and coughed into his servo, small flecks of energon coming out of his mouth. Prowl's grip subconsciously tightened on the ceiling, noticing the miniscule dots of blue on Bumblebee's yellow and black armor. The only thing was that Bee didn't seem to notice or care.

Prowl was about to jump down and berate the youngling right then and there, but the sound of metal crashing to the ground gave him a slight shock, delaying his descent by half a second. And that was bad because a lot can happen in half a second.

Fear overcame his spark as he saw Bumblebee fall to the ground, a slight trickle of energon coming from his mouth. He jumped down from the ceiling quickly and ran over to the smaller mech. Something wasn't right. Bumblebee hadn't been injured recently and nothing was popping up on the quick scans he was performing. In fact, the youngling's systems appeared to be functioning properly and all he needed was a bit of energon. However, the growing stream of energon on the floor discredited the data.

"Bumblebee, come on, wake up." Prowl said urgently, panic creeping into his voice, "Primus, why didn't you tell anyone? Unless…you didn't know or-" His panic increased tenfold when the yellow armor began flickering, as if unable to make up its mind to stay bright yellow or fade to a dull sandy hue. Prowl did the one thing he could think of in such a situation. He screamed for the one mech who could possibly know what the slag was going on.

"RATCHET!"

* * *

><p>By ten in the morning, the plant was quiet. Bulkhead was pacing back and forth, unable to sit still enough to paint. Optimus kept glancing at the clock and sighing, trying to figure everything out, but couldn't understand a thing. Prowl sat in the corner, doing his best to meditate and get the youngling off of his processor. Of course, he failed miserably. All that he saw was Bee on the floor, possibly leaking himself dry. What if he, Prowl, hadn't been there to see the yellow mech fall? What if they found the youngling - their youngling – off-lined in the hallway? He couldn't shake the disturbing image of Bumblebee's grey frame sealed away in some tomb on Cybertron. What would they tell his Creators? Did he even have Creators?<p>

Ratchet exited the med-bay, fatigue written all over his faceplate. He was quickly the center of attention, the three other Autobots firing questions at him. The speed at which they came could almost rival Blurr's speech pattern…almost.

"For the love of Primus, one at a time!" Ratchet yelled, feeling as though he were shouting at a couple of sparklings. Actually, with his old age, he could consider them all sparklings.

"Is he going to be ok?" Bulkhead asked. He was truly concerned for his best friend, having been through so much together. Really, their bond could not be put into words, unless it was Bumblebee stating, "You wouldn't understand." Nobody would, or could, understand their friendship. From the outside, it appeared as though Bee were using Bulkhead for his own amusement. In reality, they equally relied on one another.

"Yes, he'll be fine. I managed to stabilize him and he should be up any minute now."

"What happened?" Optimus asked next. The question had been on everyone's mind since they heard Prowl shouting in the night.

"His spark started…convulsing. I can't describe it any other way."

"Why did this happen?" Prowl asked, still very shocked about the whole ordeal. He hated uncertainty and he wanted his questions answered. However, he had a hunch that even Ratchet wouldn't be able to supply him with the information he wanted.

"That's the most disturbing part: I don't know. Anything that could have led to potential clues just vanished off the monitors before I could even survey them." Prowl nodded. The most important thing was that Bumblebee was alive. Maybe not well, but alive.

"So, we don't know what's wrong with Bee, we have no way of helping him, and he's going to be stubborn and say it's nothing." Bulkhead concluded.

"That pretty much sums it up."

"You forgot the part where Sari and her boyfriend come in and make things worse." Prowl added. Just before anyone could add anything else, the door to the med-bay opened slowly. All optics turned towards the small yellow mech, utterly failing at his attempted escape.

"Oh slag…" he rasped, darting back into the med-bay as Ratchet shot him a glare.

"And that's my cue." Ratchet said, entering after the youngling. Everyone fell silent once again.

* * *

><p>Megatron smirked in the confines of the Decepticon base. Sure, he hadn't expected the virus to do <em>that<em> to the youngling, but no harm done; the plan would just be carried out faster. There were only a few more steps left to complete the plan. Of course, it would take about three Earth days for everything to fall into place, but three was shorter than the seven Megatron was expecting.

"My glorious leader," Megatron internally groaned as Lugnut's voice echoed throughout the halls, "what is your next ingenious course of action?"

"Patience, we must wait for Soundwave's signal and then we will strike the Autobots in their weakened state." Lugnut gave him a questioning look (not questioning his leadership of the "mighty Decepticons" mind you!), asking for a small explanation. "Let's just say, when one gear is lost, the whole mech falls apart. We're waiting for the right moment to strike the Autobots. Only then can we acquire their AllSpark fragments and launch the next step in conquering Cybertron. I've heard that the Autobots are assembling a Space Bridge, one that we can capture and use. However, they have found a way to keep us at bay for the time being. But don't worry, that will soon change. Until then, continue surveillance of the Autobot base and Soundwave's data, it will prove useful to us in the near-future."

* * *

><p>"How many times do I have to tell you Doc-bot? I'm fine!" Bumblebee struggled to find a way past the grumpy medic to the exit. So far, he wasn't having much luck with his second escape attempt.<p>

"You just suffered through major spark shock! You slagging aren't fine!" Ratchet responded, finally resorting to using his electromagnets to trap the fuming youngling. Bee pouted within his prison, crossing his servos over his chassis.

"Will you quit using those on me?"

"I will when you stop acting like a spoiled sparkling!"

"You're no fun…" Bumblebee complained with a pout.

"Can I let you down yet or are you going to run off again?"

"Just let me down." With a less than graceful landing, Bumblebee was back on the med-bay floor. To Ratchet's surprise the youngling was true to his word, opting instead to sulk.

"Alright kid, what's on your processor?" the medic asked. Bumblebee looked away before sighing. Honestly, the last person he wanted to talk to about the nightmares was Ratchet. If Sari would look him in the optic and spend ten minutes alone with him without her aft-hole boyfriend, he'd tell her all about it. But no, she just had to get all defensive about the whole thing and push him out of her life.

Still, Ratchet was bound to "patient confidentiality," so Prime and the others wouldn't be making "discoveries" anytime soon. If anything, Ratchet was the one he could trust the most to keep the nightmares a secret. Bulkhead, being his best friend, would keep the secret until his conscience ate away at him. Then, he would feel compelled to tell Prime, who would try to get him to talk anyway. Bumblebee didn't even think of telling Prowl and telling Prime outright would lead to conversations he'd rather not have.

Making up his mind, Bumblebee started, "Well, I've been having…nightmares, as the humans call them. They're never the same, but…well, Sari's always in them and I always have something to do with her death."

"So, what do you think of Sari?" Bumblebee cocked his head to the side, optics trained on the medic.

"Um…she's obviously my best friend."

"Is there anything else?"

"Are you implying something?" Ratchet slapped his helm. Primus, if Prime was this thick…

"No, not at all kid." Ratchet answered, not wanting to launch into a full-blown explanation of "when a spark meets a spark." Bumblebee raised an optic ridge, but shrugged it off as nothing. "Anyway, your systems are functioning normally again, so I guess you're free to go. I'll be keeping a sharp optic on you, so don't do anything stupid. I don't want you to stress yourself out until I know what's going on. That means no fighting, no long patrols, and absolutely no crazy stunts that land you in here within ten breems." As soon as the words left his mouth, the yellow mech sped out of the med-bay.

"Ok, most awkward conversation with Ratchet I've ever had," Bumblebee told himself. He smirked slightly, "He never said anything about performing stunts that would land me in his med-bay within eleven breems." Even as he worked out the loophole, he did so half-heartedly. Upon entering his room, he shut the door, sighed, and leaned against the wall.

"Primus, what's wrong with me?" he couldn't help but ask. The nightmares and the purgings seemed like more than just his past catching up with him. All he ever dreamed about was Sari dying and his friends killing him, nothing about Wasp or Boot Camp or any other trauma-inducing experiences. So…what did they all mean?

"It means I'm completely useless." For a few minutes, he let everything sink in. He stared at the opposite wall, almost willing it to give him some sort of answer to how his life had changed. Well, it mostly had to do with Sari's excuse of a boyfriend. Bee snorted, mentally claiming that he would and could be a much better boyfriend. And that's exactly where his thoughts came to a screeching halt.

Was it possible to like Sari in that way? They'd been friends for a while and he thought he'd never see her as something more. Maybe this was why he got so protective. Maybe this was where all those deep set fears were coming into play. Or…he was just thinking about this way too much. Yeah, that had to be it.

Glancing out the window, Bumblebee noticed that the sun was still out, hours away from setting. Perhaps now would be a good time for a drive, even if it was just to clear his muddled processor. Nobody could object to that, right?

Less than a minute later, the sound of screeching tires filled the rec. room as well as the voice of a cursing medic.

* * *

><p>"So what do you want to do now Sari? After all, it is a Saturday." Rory said as he and Sari walked through downtown Detroit. They'd already walked through the park and walked around the shops. For a fairly large city, there wasn't a whole lot to do.<p>

"We could go back to the Tower," she suggested, "or we could see a movie."

"What, no visiting the Autobots?" Rory joked, nudging her softly with his elbow.

"Please, you want to go there and get yelled at by Bee again?" Sari asked incredulously. "You're crazier than I thought."

"Minus getting yelled at by him, I think they're pretty cool. I mean, they've saved the city more times than we can count. And then there was when Megatron got resurrected or something. Oh, and when Soundwave came and put a virus in them-"

"You weren't there for any of those." Sari stated.

"Yeah I know; I've just heard a lot about them. Plus, you've told me all the stories at least three times each." Rory smirked, eliciting a giggle from Sari.

"What can I say? They're my best friends and they were my first real friends. Of course, Optimus is still pretty over-protective, but I can't blame him after what happened…" she trailed off and gazed at the sidewalk.

"Come on: spill. What happened?"

"Do you…promise not to break up with me?" She sounded so downcast.

"I promise. Besides, it looks like you need to get this off of your…um…you know…"

"Chest?"

"Yeah sorry, your phrases are kind of weird to someone who hasn't been here too long." Rory scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed.

"It's ok. You haven't lived here in, what, six years? I get it. English makes absolutely no sense." Sari took his hand in hers, deciding to focus on his eyes.

"So…about that-"

"Alright, I'll tell you. But first, let's find a place to sit down." After a few minutes of walking, they found a bench next to a mailbox. As soon as they sat down, Sari recounted her story of becoming a teenager by using her key, destroying half of Detroit in the process. "I thought it would be a good idea, but it didn't go so well," Sari admitted. "After I defeated the rock monster, I lost control of my body. It's the worst experience in the world, knowing what you're doing is hurting so many people but not being able to do a thing about it. Anyways…I did something bad, something that I can never forgive myself for."

"And what would that be?" Rory inquired, pressing her tale onwards.

"I…I stabbed Bumblebee. I almost killed him and…I'm just lucky I missed his spark. And…and I've never regretted anything more. Ever since, I haven't talked to him and I know he's annoyed, but I don't think I can face him without seeing my blade through his chassis. You know, I've sworn to never use my energy blades ever again…it would feel too wrong," she finished with a sigh. Rory's eyes widened, realization dawning on him.

"You remember the last time Bee and I fought?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, when you left the room…Bee said some stuff."

"Like what?"

"He…he mentioned you stabbing him. I didn't know what he meant at the time, but he seemed really upset and mad. He blamed you for the accident." Sari's jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

"No, he wouldn't…that doesn't sound like Bee…" Sari whispered in denial.

"I'm so sorry; I know it wasn't your fault. Anger brings out the worst in people and he just let it slip. To me, it sounded like he wasn't ready to forgive you." He noticed the tears welling in the corners of her eyes. With a sigh, he scooted closer to her, wrapping her in his embrace.

"I-I don't know…" Sari half-sobbed, "Did he-he really?"

"Shh…it's ok, just cry it out. Looks like you've been holding this in for a while," Rory soothed, "I'm sorry you had to find out like this. I thought…it was best for you to know. I'm so sorry."

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," Sari said, wiping away her tears. "You're the best boyfriend I could have asked for."

"Is there anything you want me to do?" he asked.

"No, you've done so much for me already," she said with a smile. Quickly, that smile turned into a frown, "But I'm going to have a talk with Bumblebee."

"You want me to come?"

"No. I've got to do this alone. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" Rory nodded. As Sari stood up, they shared one more kiss before going their separate ways. However, once her back was turned, Rory smirked triumphantly. With his luck, that yellow bot was going to be out of the picture.

* * *

><p>It was nearly sundown when Bumblebee skidded back into base. Dark grey clouds were beginning to move in overhead, signaling a possible thunderstorm. And right now, the last thing Bee wanted was to drive in the rain. The slick surfaces didn't serve him well for "stress driving."<p>

He'd red-lined countless times, broken so many speed limits, and tried to break the sound barrier with the turbo jets Optimus didn't realize he still had. It almost worked, but an incredible pain overcame his frame as well as a warning for more energon. So, he returned to base…against his will.

"Bumblebee, where have you been?" Optimus asked with his servos crossed. The Prime was obviously not happy with the youngling's disappearing stunt.

"Driving," Bee answered simply, walking over to the energon dispenser. He continued to sip at the cube as his commanding officer reprimanded him.

"Driving? What if a Decepticon found you alone?" The question had a slight edge to it.

"I would've outrun him or I'd call you guys for backup." Both mechs engaged in a small staring competition. After a few seconds, Prime gave in and sighed.

"Bumblebee, I'm just worried about you. Something's wrong with your spark and we have no idea what the problem could possibly be. I don't want you taking stupid risks, especially not now." Optimus explained. Unfortunately, the bot in question had already been annoyed about another issue. Piling this one on top of the other one sent him over the edge.

"I don't need to be sparkling-sat Boss-bot," he stated with more malice than intended, "I can take care of myself just fine." Optimus balled his servo into a fist before composing his reply.

"Fine Bumblebee, just be a bit more cautious." With that, he left the rec. room, leaving Bee even more frustrated. The yellow mech growled and punched the wall. He didn't mean to get that upset or to say something that…moody to Prime. After a brief internal debate, he put down his half-finished energon cube and began walking to Optimus' office. However, before he could take another step, he sensed the presence of a certain techno-organic.

Happiness flooded his spark and he quickly turned towards the entrance. Before he could greet Sari, his spark sank. The look on her face indicated that she was not here for pleasantries. It looked as though she'd been crying earlier, despite her best efforts to mask the sadness. She also looked hurt and angry, a bad combination of emotions. Bumblebee was about to speak, but Sari beat him to it.

"Bumblebee," she sighed, body shuddering slightly, "we need to talk."

* * *

><p><em>AN: I know, I'm evil. :) Tell me your thoughts on Rory 'cause I think you should have figured it out by now! Also, I've got a poll up on my profile that involves this story and two other Bee stories. If you be so kind to check it out, it'll help me write the ending for this story! Sorry 'bout the shameless plug. ^.^;_


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